Disclaimer: I'm not a nutritionist. So take everything with a grain of salt :)
You can probably tell from reading this ol' blog that I eat pretty healthy on a regular basis. I love cooking dishes with lean meats and lots of veggies (although I definitely splurge on some pizza from time-to-time!). And I certainly enjoy a glass or four two of Cab several nights a week. Anywho, after training for the marathon in the fall, my appetite was out of control. Running 45+ miles week after week just makes you hungry. All the time. Plus you tend to get in that mindset of "I can eat whatever and as much I want" because you're burning so many calories. Not to mention, other than during my runs, I rarely drank enough water (hello, Coke Zero!), which I think may contribute to my hamstring tightness. Not good, I know.
Enter a new year. A non-marathon training season.
I didn't really have a "New Year's resolution" per se, but when the new year started I had a mission to increase water intake, decrease wine intake and be more conscious of what I'm putting in my mouth. I wanted to stay more hydrated, which I know would make me feel better (and would also help my running), and I just thought I should cut back on the wine. Plus, I wanted to incorporate more fresh foods into my diet (I'm guilty of eating Healthy Choice meals at work fairly often. Oops.). To top everything off, we found out we got inaugural ball tickets right around the first of the new year. I already have a dress that barely fits that I want to wear to the ball, so that gave me even more motivation to stick with my healthier eating/drinking mission.
Well, since January 1, I'm down 5+ pounds and about 1.5" off my waist!
Weight loss wasn't the mission, but I guess my body is adjusting to some healthier habits. I just wanted to eat better and drink more fluids that don't include Coke Zero and wine. And I've also scaled back my mileage from about 45 miles/week to about 25 miles/week, which I'm sure makes a difference in my appetite.
I don't believe in "diets." The no carbs or no protein or all protein and hardly any calories...it's not realistic and in most cases not healthy (although I do think that programs like Weight Watchers are great. Everything in moderation). I'm not cutting out food groups or nutrients. And knowing I want to get pregnant, I'm not counting or limiting calories; I know that's not what my body needs right now. But I AM making some small, healthy, lifestyle changes to be a better me. I'm drinking about 80oz of water per day and have only drank wine a couple of nights since the 1st. I'll let myself have a Diet Coke if I've already reached my 80oz of water for the day. I'm also more conscious of what I'm eating, cutting out extra snacks and frozen meals and eating more fresh veggies and fruits. I know the decrease in miles is a factor (I don't want to eat 24/7 like last fall) as well as the decrease in wine (sadly), but drinking more water and eating more fresh foods just makes me feel better overall.
Weight loss wasn't the mission, but I guess my body is adjusting to some healthier habits. I just wanted to eat better and drink more fluids that don't include Coke Zero and wine. And I've also scaled back my mileage from about 45 miles/week to about 25 miles/week, which I'm sure makes a difference in my appetite.
I don't believe in "diets." The no carbs or no protein or all protein and hardly any calories...it's not realistic and in most cases not healthy (although I do think that programs like Weight Watchers are great. Everything in moderation). I'm not cutting out food groups or nutrients. And knowing I want to get pregnant, I'm not counting or limiting calories; I know that's not what my body needs right now. But I AM making some small, healthy, lifestyle changes to be a better me. I'm drinking about 80oz of water per day and have only drank wine a couple of nights since the 1st. I'll let myself have a Diet Coke if I've already reached my 80oz of water for the day. I'm also more conscious of what I'm eating, cutting out extra snacks and frozen meals and eating more fresh veggies and fruits. I know the decrease in miles is a factor (I don't want to eat 24/7 like last fall) as well as the decrease in wine (sadly), but drinking more water and eating more fresh foods just makes me feel better overall.
What are your "healthy" lifestyle/eating/drinking habits?
15 comments:
Good for you! On my blog today I actually talk about how I gained weight, and then how I've lost 40 lbs of it and dropped 2 pant sizes. Right now I set small goals for myself each week. They include things like working out 3 times this week, no sugar this week, no alcohol this week, no eating out this week, etc. By doing this stuff, they become more of a habit, which is where the whole lifestyle change thing comes in. I've still got a long ways to go, but it's a helluva start! And yes, eating clean makes me feel SO much better about how I feel and look!
You go woman! I already thought you were a rockstar and here you are raising the bar :)
Since I've been cutting out pop, it's made it easier for me to drink a lot more water in the past 4-5 months or so. I drink 3-4L a day and I can really tell a difference! Jared and I are making a much better effort to take fresh, healthy lunches to work too! We do try to limit our carbs, but we don't necessarily count them/track them carefully either.
Awesome topic! I do use myfitnesspal to count calories only because for me, it works. I know if I didn't do something like that, I'd go crazy. I've started trying to incorporate as many fruits and veggies as snacks as possible, as opposed to processed foods. I also try to measure or weigh everything because I can estimate how much a serving is, but I'm usually WAY off, and it's usually WAY more than a serving. Like you, though, I definitely need to work on drinking more water. Keep it up girl!
Sometimes I'm tempted to set an alarm on my phone as a reminder to drink enough water, it isn't easy to remember when work gets crazy! I've also been trying to double healthy dinner recipes in order to have leftovers for lunch. Saves money and is healthier than eating out daily!
That's great! I've always found it's easier to concentrate on things like this during non-marathon training cycles. Do you do anything strength training? This is a great time to work that in too (and it's great for prepping for pregnancy!). I always end up dropping my strength training during mara training cycles because I worry about being sore and not being able to get my runs in.
My blog post today is about me feeling FATTY'ish and totally unmotivated because of my lack of results. I am going back to square one... starting over. Hoping to see results!! That's amazing that you are down 5lbs but even more awesome is the inches that are falling off! Good for you :)
Cutting the booze makes a world of difference. I allow myself one night a week for the drinky and it made such a difference! I'm sure you look fab- you always do :)
I love this post. So motivational. I too am trying to do a "healthier lifestyle". As some of the other comments mentioned - I am cutting out soda. Plus I am doing a weight loss program that helps me to eat smaller portions but through out the day. Helps keep my metabolism up!
And awesome job on losing the 5 lbs!
I'm trying to drink more water too. It's hard sometimes especially when you're craving something else. Ahem, diet coke and wine.
If I am hungry at night after dinner, I chug a glass of water and then brew myself a cup of green tea.
Go girl! I've been really trying to stay healthy in this new year, and so I've taken to "eating clean." Have you heard of it? I haven't perfected it, and I definitely cheat, but you're basically shopping the perimeter of the grocery store and cutting out the processed foods. Looks like what you're doing works :) Congrats on the weight loss!!
Great motivation here! We're making an effort to make more vegetarian meals, so that's definitely making a difference. Plus I gave up dairy because of my sinus, so I think that that's helping to flush my system too. I'm impressed with your healthy choices!
I've recently stumbled upon a few articles that link excessive cardio to slower weight loss, so since I'm trying to lose the baby weight I'm focusing on 4-6 hours of barre classes per week.
I put my weight loss on hold during the holidays and now that it's over I"m recommitted to losing the last 10lbs of baby weight.
=)
Wow, 5 lbs down in two weeks! That's amazing! I'm trying to eat better but I really don't know where to begin. It seems like I don't have any self control when it comes to sweets. I did try to set a goal for myself at the beginning of the year but so far, I'm failing :(
I've just kicked into half-marathon-training gear and DEFINITELY need to drink more water/less wine. At least less wine on the nights before a run, ha! Also trying to eat more protein and better carbs - so tough though, on a long-run or tempo-run day, I want to eat everything in sight!
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